Hereinafter, a conventional blood sensor and a blood testing apparatus using the blood sensor will be described with respect to a sensor and a testing apparatus used for diabetes testing.
A diabetic patient measures his/her blood glucose level periodically, and injects insulin on the basis of the blood glucose level to keep a normal blood glucose level. Conventionally, in order to measure blood glucose level, a small amount of blood is collected from a finger tip or the like of a patient using a puncture unit, and then the blood glucose level of the collected blood is measured using a measurement unit.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, initially a puncture needle port 2 of a puncture unit 1 is applied to a finger tip or the like of a patient. Thereafter, a button 3 is pressed. Then, a needle protrudes from the puncture needle port 2 at high speed and goes back instantly, whereby the needle makes a minute wound on the finger tip or the like. The patient squeezes blood from this wound to collect the same.
Next, using a testing unit 4 for measuring blood glucose level shown in FIG. 15, the patient applies the collected blood onto a blood attachment part 5a of a sensor 5 that is inserted in the testing unit 4. Thereby, the testing unit 4 calculates blood glucose level of the attached blood, and displays the result of calculation on a display unit 6.
As prior art document information relating to the invention of this application, for example, Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2002-219114, and a brochure of International Publication No. 2005/054840 are known.
In the conventional testing of blood glucose level, however, it is necessary to use two units, i.e., the puncture unit 1 and the testing unit 4. That is, it is necessary for the patient to make a wound on his/her skin at a finger tip or the like, squeeze blood from this wound, and apply the blood onto the blood attachment part 5a of the sensor 5. This operation is very complicated.